Bush Hails Victories in Iraq– The Success Is Undeniable!

My administration understood that America could not retreat in the face of terror–

Because we acted, Saddam Hussein no longer fills fields with the remains of innocent men, women and children. Because we acted, Saddam’s torture chambers and rape rooms and children’s prisons have been closed for good. Because we acted, Saddam’s regime is no longer invading its neighbors or attacking them with chemical weapons and ballistic missiles. Because we acted, Saddam’s regime is no longer paying the families of suicide bombers in the Holy Land. Because we acted, Saddam’s regime is no longer shooting at American and British aircraft patrolling the no-fly zones and defying the will of the United Nations. Because we acted, the world is better and United States of America is safer. (Applause.)

Bush denounces Left’s exaggerated claims on the cost of war.U.S. President George W. Bush (C) greets members of military in the audience at the Pentagon in Washington March 19, 2008 following his remarks on the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq. (REUTERS/Jason Reed)

President George W Bush has marked the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq with a speech defending his decision to go to war. Speaking at the Pentagon, Mr Bush said the war was one “we can and must win”.

And he went on to say that the recent “surge” of US troops to Iraq has brought about “a major strategic victory in the broader war on terror”.

The speech comes amid criticism in the US of the war, with some critics pointing to its high cost.

In his speech, Mr Bush dismissed what he called the “exaggerated estimates” of the cost of the war.

And he added: “The costs are necessary when we consider the cost of a strategic victory for our enemies in Iraq.”

Here is more from the speech that you probably will not read in the newspapers today:

A little over a year ago, the fight in Iraq was faltering. Extremist elements were succeeding in their efforts to plunge Iraq into chaos. They had established safe havens in many parts of the country. They were creating divisions among the Iraqis along sectarian lines. And their strategy of using violence in Iraq to cause divisions in America was working — as pressures built here in Washington for withdrawal before the job was done.

My administration understood that America could not retreat in the face of terror…

…The surge has done more than turn the situation in Iraq around — it has opened the door to a major strategic victory in the broader war on terror. For the terrorists, Iraq was supposed to be the place where al Qaeda rallied Arab masses to drive America out. Instead, Iraq has become the place where Arabs joined with Americans to drive al Qaeda out. In Iraq, we are witnessing the first large-scale Arab uprising against Osama bin Laden, his grim ideology, and his murderous network. And the significance of this development cannot be overstated.

…General Petraeus has warned that too fast a drawdown could result in such an unraveling — with al Qaeda and insurgents and militia extremists regaining lost ground and increasing violence.

Men and women of the Armed Forces: Having come so far, and achieved so much, we’re not going to let this to happen.

Next month, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will come to Washington to testify before Congress. I will await their recommendations before making decisions on our troop levels in Iraq.

The successes we are seeing in Iraq are undeniable — yet some in Washington still call for retreat. War critics can no longer credibly argue that we’re losing in Iraq — so now they argue the war costs too much. In recent months we’ve heard exaggerated estimates of the costs of this war.

…Five years ago tonight, I promised the American people that in the struggle ahead “we will accept no outcome but victory.” Today, standing before men and women who helped liberate a nation, I reaffirm the commitment. The battle in Iraq is noble, it is necessary, and it is just. And with your courage, the battle in Iraq will end in victory. God bless. (Applause.)

UPDATE: More good news from Iraq– Iraq’s presidential council approved a law Wednesday that paves the way for provincial elections.Hat Tip BG

Comments

As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to edit or remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. The same applies to trolling, the use of multiple aliases, or just generally being a jerk. Enforcement of this policy is at the sole discretion of the site administrators and repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without warning